Correction: An article below originally mischaracterized the size of the Volkswgen settlement. The agreement calls for $14.7 billion, not million. Our apologies -- too many holiday cookies!

December 2016 Edition VW Settlement, New & Renewing Members, West Coast Electric Fleets' Diamond Lane Tier, Member Updates, Biodiesel Handling Guide, WWCC Job Opportunity, Plug-In America News  |  Events  |  Blog  |  Home

***Happy Holidays!*** Wishing you all the best this holiday season and a successful 2017.  --Western Washington Clean Cities

A New Addition To Clean Cities!

Heading Here The Western Washington Clean Cities team is growing in both capacity and expertise! Please welcome our newest co-coordinator, Robin Gold. Robin will serve as our Coalition's technical expert on  Alternative Fuels & Technologies. As the former co-founder and owner/operator of a biofuels filling station in San Francisco, Robin knows much about biodiesel and the needs of private and public fleets. She also has over eight years of experience as an engineer at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, a U.S. Department of Energy national lab specializing in high energy physics and photon science. Robin is a graduate of the University of Washington, with dual Master's degrees in Sustainable Transportation and Statistics. You may have already met Robin (in person or over email), but please feel free to reach out to introduce yourself and ask any burning alternative fuel inquiries.  Robin Gold Coordinator | Alternative Fuels & Technologies RobinG@pscleanair.org 206-689-4054

Volkswagen Settlement -- What Happens Now? Earlier this fall, a federal court settled a lawsuit between state governments and Volkswagen after the car company cheated federal emission regulations. The result: Volkswagen must pay $14.7 billion to help mitigate the pollution from their diesel vehicles. Although much has yet to be determined, Washington State will receive funding for specific types of projects that reduce pollution.  Learn More

New & Renewing Members

We're pleased to add a new member to the Clean Cities ranks and bring back a past sustainable transportation partner! Welcome to new member MacDonald-Miller & renewing member Snohomish County. Looking forward to working with you towards a clean energy future.

Diamonds Are An EV's Best Friend West Coast Electric Fleets, a collection of public and private fleets committed to adding zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), is kicking it up a notch by adding a brand new pledge level for their partners. Diamond Lane partner fleets pledge to make ZEVs a set percentage (above 10%) of their future fleet purchases. They also give themselves a target year to hit their desired percentage. Kudos to Diamond Lane participants (& WWCC Members) -- the City of Seattle and the Washington State Departments of Commerce, Enterprise Services, and Transportation -- for paving the way! If you too are implementing electric vehicles as part of your fleet strategy, we urge you to consider joining West Coast Electric Fleets.

Member Updates Find out which of our members are making moves in the field of alternative fuels and advanced technologies.

City of Seattle: Saving Lives (& Fuel) The Seattle Fire Department's new hybrid ambulances are getting a thumb's up from both their operators and the City's fleet. Nine months ago, the Seattle Fire Department added two Ford E-450 ambulances retrofitted with a hybrid drive system. So far the hybrids have substantially increased fuel efficiency while reducing emissions. Even the paramedics appreciate the quieter ride.  Based on the ambulances' performance, the City of Seattle plans to purchase ten more retrofitted hybrid vehicles over the next year, including three additional ambulances.

King County Metro: Electric Performance Over the past year, King County Metro has tested three battery-electric buses with an eye toward using electric buses more extensively in their fleet.  So how did they do? After driving nearly 75,000 miles, the three Proterra buses have saved almost 12,000 gallons of diesel fuel and eliminated more than a quarter-million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions. All of these statistics (& more) can be found on King County's website.  The buses serve routes 226 and 241 in Bellevue. If you're curious how they charge in just ten minutes, check out this short video.

Question of the Month How are conventional light-duty vehicle fuel economy ratings determined and reported?  Answer

At A Glance: Biodiesel Handling Guide Biodiesel is a green fuel that reduces tailpipe pollution and our impact on the climate. But how do you get started using it? The U.S. Department of Energy's freshly revised biodiesel guide is a handy resource for anyone currently using biodiesel or considering adding biodiesel to their fleet's fuel stock. Complete with FAQs and even a checklist for installing biodiesel fuel-dispensing equipment, the guide provides standard practices for safely using, storing and blending biodiesel fuel.    Learn More

Coming Soon: 2016 Data Collection

With the end of the year nearly upon us, it's almost time to see exactly how much gas Western Washington fleets are kicking.  Every year, at the request of the U.S. Department of Energy, we survey the region's fleets to find out what kind of fuel (& how much) each fleet is using. This time around we're working to potentially provide a web-based system to collect each fleet's data and make the process even smoother. Stay tuned!

TransAtlas Shows You The Way If you're looking to find where alternative fuels are available, take a peek at the TransAtlas tool from the U.S. Department of Energy.  Although similar to another tool -- the Alternative Fuels Station Locator -- the TransAtlas allows you to overlay the location of alt fuel stations and production facilities with the vehicle densities in a given area. Pretty cool! This can give you an idea if supply for a particular alternative fuel is matching up with demand.  You can also use the TransAtlas's query feature to display relevant data for a region you select.  Learn More

Job Opportunity At Clean Cities! We're looking for a kick-gas individual to join our Western Washington Clean Cities team.  Our new Clean Cities Associate will help us implement petroleum-reducing programs by promoting the use of alternative fuels and vehicle technologies. The position closes on January 6, 2017.  Learn More

Contemplating An EV? Start Here.

Electric vehicle research should begin and end with Plug-In America. The non-profit advocacy group's new website comes with a wealth of resources to help find (& share with others) the right car for you.

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